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To Home School or Not to Home School?

Dr. Phil speaks to his guests, Mike and Jylana, about their debate over whether to home school their 4-year-old son. Jylana believes their son is advanced for his age and doesn't feel the public school system is equipped to handle his needs. Her husband, Mike, however, believes that keeping their son out of public school may stunt him socially and won't prepare him for the real world. What does Dr. Phil think?

Dr. Phil looks to the research:

Children who are home schooled through eighth grade exhibit no disruption in social development and evolution. To make home schooling work, parents must make the time commitment, the money commitment, the lifestyle commitment to provide that academic environment for the child at home.

In addition, the parents should make the effort to have the child participate in extra-curricular activities of their peer group, such as sports, YMCA activities, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, church groups and socials, etc.

Limited tests have shown that home schooled children have above-average social and psychological development through their exposure to many different age groups and other activities to boost their social development.

However, once kids get to high school age, social development is important. They become more independent and benefit more from being in a public or private school.